Perfect Match More Than 150 Pets And Their Owners Now Can Enjoy Happier Homes, Through Pets For People.

September 25, 1988|By JOSEPH SCHWERDT, Staff Writer

Adeline Lambert gets misty eyes when she thinks about her late pet Mickey.

The feisty but lovable pug died last year, leaving Adeline and Bill Lambert without a pet for the first time in more than a dozen years.

``I`ll never get over him,`` Adeline said. ``He was such a lover. He was mamma`s boy.``

So the Lamberts of West Palm Beach turned to the Animal Rescue League and its Pets for People program.

The program matches old dogs, who may not otherwise be adopted, with people aged 60 or more who are looking for companionship.

The Lamberts found the perfect match. Nugget is a homely, overweight, arthritic pug whom the Lamberts love. She was the first dog adopted from the program, in June last year.

``The minute I saw her, I knew she was my dog,`` said Adeline Lambert, 77.

The benefits that pets offer to the mental health and physical well-being of their owners have been documented in dozens of studies.

Among the most recent, a study by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md., shows that pets affect heart rate and blood pressure and provide emotional and social stimulation for those who use wheelchairs. And a study by Ralston Purina, national sponsors of the program, shows that 90 percent of the seniors polled say they are less lonely and much happier since adopting an animal.

For many senior citizens, a dog or cat can be the ultimate companion.

``For many elderly, the benefits of having a pet are particularly significant,`` said Kathy Wright, director of the Pets for People program for Purina. ``Scientific studies show that pets can help reduce stress and they can reduce the recovery time from an illness.``

Since the Lamberts adopted Nugget, more than 150 dogs and cats have been adopted through the program.

Purina pays the shelter up to $100 for adoption fees and initial veterinary expenses and licenses. The pet owners receive a leash, collar, bowl and a small supply of food.

There are 103 programs sponsored by the company in 90 cities around the country. Nine are in Florida.

Purina limits the number of adoptions to 10 per month, and the Animal Rescue League has had no problem filling the quota.

The dogs can be any age or breed, but most seniors like small, older dogs.

``A lot of older animals won`t be adopted to families with children,`` said Sherry McKay, coordinator of the program and Animal Rescue League.

Those interested in adopting a pet can call the Animal Rescue League at 686-3663.